Top law enforcement in Mich. address job scrutiny, racial tensions at Mackinac Island conference

(FOX 2) - Top law enforcement from across the state of Michigan are meeting on Mackinac Island this week for the Michigan Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates. Their two-day conference comes at a time when their jobs are under increased scrutiny in the United States.

"If anybody watching this right now believes that someone who wants a job is going to choose this one, they're not," - with that job being a police officer.  

Eric Daigle, attorney and former cop, was the keynote speaker. He told about 100 Michigan chiefs of police that George Floyd's death, which cannot be justified, hurt policing.  

"What's challenging are the repercussions from that," he said. One repercussion is new good officers, Daigel says, are hard to find. 

"What I'm watching occur is a withdrawal. So personally what I think, I think society is less safe today than they were before these things occurred ... because of a lack of support across-the-board," he said. "We always have to look inward first. We always have to say that we have to find our bad officers and eliminate them."

Another repercussion is that some police officers are backing off.

"I think also they're somewhat hesitant to get involved in a situation that could use force or whatever because police officers don't want to be second-guessed," said Monica Yesh, a retired captain with Michigan State Police. 

She even believes police officers may be hesitant now to even conduct routine traffic stops. 

"Hopefully that's not happening because the police officer we need to enforce the law no matter what," she said. When asked if she thinks it's happening, though, she replied, "Yes, of course, it is."    

And attracting a diverse police force?

"I would love for there to be more diversity," Daigel said.

It's something most officers say is difficult but they're working on it. And that goes for attracting more women, too. 

"We have a lot to offer. Unfortunately, a lot of women don't want to become law enforcement. They don't want to get involved in the use of force or they're intimidated," Yesh said.